We do not live in a world of dreams, but in an Universe which while relative, is real so far as our lives and actions are concerned.  Our business in the Universe is not to deny its existence, but to live, using the Laws to rise from lower to higher—­living on, doing the best that we can under the circumstances arising each day, and living, so far as is possible, to our biggest ideas and ideals.  The true Meaning of Life is not known to men on this plane .if, indeed, to any—­but the highest authorities, and our own intuitions, teach us that we will make no mistake in living up to the best that is in us, so far as is possible, and realising the Universal tendency in the same direction in spite of apparent evidence to the contrary.  We are all on The Path—­and the road leads upward ever, with frequent resting places.

Read the message of The Kybalion—­and follow the example of “the wise”—­avoiding the mistake of “the half-wise” who perish by reason of their folly.

CHAPTER VII

“The all” In all

    “While All is in the all, it is equally true that the
    all is in all.  To him who truly understands this
    truth hath come great knowledge.”—­The Kybalion.

How often have the majority of people heard repeated the statement that their Deity (called by many names) was “All in All” and how little have they suspected the inner occult truth concealed by these carelessly uttered words?  The commonly used expression is a survival of the ancient Hermetic Maxim quoted above.  As the Kybalion says:  “To him who truly understands this truth, hath come great knowledge.”  And, this being so, let us seek this truth, the understanding of which means so much.  In this statement of truth—­this Hermetic Maxim—­is concealed one of the greatest philosophical, scientific and religious truths.

We have given you the Hermetic Teaching regarding the Mental Nature of the Universe—­the truth that “the Universe is Mental—­held in the Mind of the all.”  As the Kybalion says, in the passage quoted above:  “All is in the all.”  But note also the co-related statement, that:  “It is equally true that the all is in all.”  This apparently contradictory statement is reconcilable under the Law of Paradox.  It is, moreover, an exact Hermetic statement of the relations existing between the all and its Mental Universe.  We have seen how “All is in the all”—­now let us examine the other aspect of the subject.